Cinco de Mayo Cornbread and Black Bean Panzanella with Avocado

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Avocado App for SocialSpark. All opinions are my own.

I moved in with my boyfriend this weekend.

Living together has been an exercise in compromise. Men, it turns out, bring a lot of belongings with them — and so do I. There are items you didn’t expect to see on the walls, things you suspect will never be opened again, and unnecessary gadgets that somehow find a home.

(That’s us after our first — and only — race together a few months ago.)

He has posters and textbooks. I have two stand mixers, more than one hundred cookbooks, and an alarming number of cupcake liners. We both have things we cherish, and rather than fighting over every little item, we’re learning to find smart places for them — like a high shelf for the Nintendo 64 — and focus on the good parts of sharing a space.

When tension threatens, I find the best remedy is to smile, say “Let’s have dinner,” and make something that helps us celebrate the new “our” place. For me, that often means avocados. They’re versatile, creamy, and feel celebratory — especially when paired with cornbread, fresh lime, and a couple of margaritas if the mood strikes.

This dish is technically a salad, but with avocado and toasted cubes of jalapeño cornbread, it becomes something richer and more satisfying. It’s bright, full of texture, and just the kind of crave-worthy food that makes you want to dance in the living room and forget about who owns which video game console.

If you’ve heard about the new Avocado app, it’s a sweet little tool we’ve been using to share photos, send private messages, and stay connected during all the moving chaos. It’s an easy way to add a bit of fun to your relationship and keep the small, everyday moments in touch.

Avocados from Mexico and the Avocado app are also running an “I Love Avocados For Cinco De Mayo” sweepstakes with prizes including $1,000 and an upgraded version of the app. To enter, post a photo of you and your special someone celebrating Cinco de Mayo with an avocado-forward dish. There’s also a #iloveavocados Twitter party planned for May 7th if you want to join in the conversation.

Below are the recipes I used: a simple jalapeño cornbread and a cornbread-and-black-bean panzanella that turns a salad into a celebration.

Jalapeno Cornbread
Makes 1 9-inch loaf, adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 cup soymilk (or buttermilk, or regular milk)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped finely

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Fold in the jalapeños and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake 30–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing.

Cornbread and Black Bean Panzanella
Serves 4–6, adapted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients

• 1 batch of jalapeño cornbread (see above)
• 10 oz baby spinach
• 8 oz dried black beans, soaked overnight and cooked until tender
• 12 oz frozen sweet corn, thawed and drained
• 2 medium jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• juice of 4 limes, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the cornbread into cubes and spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast for 6–7 minutes, toss, then toast another 6 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, black beans, sweet corn, jalapeños, red onion, cilantro, half the lime juice, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so flavors meld.
3. Gently fold in the avocado and grape tomatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
4. Whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, honey, the remaining lime juice, and seasoning. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine, then stir in the toasted cornbread cubes. Serve immediately.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more things to unpack — or to tuck away on that high shelf. Either way, dinner’s ready and our new place already feels a little more like ours.

One year ago… Roasted Asparagus and White Bean Soup
Three years ago… Sweet Potato Flan

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